'Love can help a soul to mature quickly.'
I drive to the embassy with a frown on my lips because am not understand what just took place in my car for even a second. The last twenty-something minutes I don't know if it were even me in the first place. Because I always know what I want and what I don't want, it's not like me at all being indecisive.
I drive while pep-talking myself into stopping whatever is going on between me and Lucas, I know it's nothing and probably am making it in my head but no matter what, the thoughts of him have to stop before they turn into reality.
It took me thirty minutes to get him to his house and to drive back to the embassy, I was pulling into the parking lot when my phone started ringing.
"Good afternoon Mr Royal!" It's Kai calling and I remember how Late I might be because of stupid Lucas. And I feel like punching something, am always striving to be punctual at this job but of course, now I guess someone has to witness the worst part of me for getting me into this after am done with my boss.
"Samantha, am sorry that I didn't notify you of the change that happened today, I hope am not late." I purse my lips wondering what could have been changed, I compose myself as I start expecting the worst.
"Samantha, I hope you are not at the embassy yet because today I took a day off, I got caught up and I forgot to tell you about it."
"Are you okay Mr Royal?" I find myself asking him and I get the surprise that shocks him from my question because he takes a long time to answer. 'What was that?.'
"Yes, I am. Nothing to worry about, you should go home and rest too." I nod my head disappointedly because, it's now I am realizing how much I looked up on seeing him, sitting in his office looking sexy and hot as always.
"Yes Mr Royal," I say after an awkward silence on the call.
"Take care of yourself, Samantha."
"Have a nice evening then," we hang up the call and I lean back in the driver's seat and close my eyes because I am feeling depressed from nowhere.
If it's due to the fact of being reprieved the right of getting in the embassy because I can't just go in there and stand there doing nothing or if it's due to the fact that, maybe somewhere deep in me, am always looking up at seeing Kai. and now that he is not here am sad about it, but whatever it is, I don't want it to be the last option, it can't be the last one though.
Because if it is then it would be doomed.
I open my eyes and look at the building behind my car through the rearview mirror and sigh. I decide to check on my father before going home, can't just drive all the way here for nothing.
I get out of the car, close the door behind me, and walk to the building. Am busy checking for my phone that I throw it in my school bag that I do not realize a car coming over my way, am pulled back to it by the sound it makes, which gets me to freeze when I realize it's heading my way, I lose my breathing as I watch everything in slow motion, the driver is trying to hit the brakes as earlier as she can but it doesn't stop the car from stopping right beside my toes. I almost fainted but a security guard held me in time before I hit the floor.
I feel arms on me helping me down on the floor, i feel someone putting a water bottle on my lips but am not in my senses to realize what is going on beside me, the person makes me drink some of the water and sprays some on my face and it wakes my brain.
I open my eyes in an Instant to find my head leaning on the security guard's lap, I raise my eyes and they meet Leila's eyes that are looking down at me with fear in them.
"Samantha thank God you are okay, you don't know how much you just freaked me out. I thought I just killed you." She says all that while having me in her arms, am still processing what just happened because I remember one minute standing in front of a non-stopping crazy car and the other waking up with my head laying on a security guard.
She pulls away and I look at myself checking if am still okay or if I am dreaming.
I pull myself up but Leila holds her arms in front of me to keep me in place.
"What do you think you are doing? Wait for the ambulance it's coming to take care of you?" I pull her hands away from me and fight my way up to my feet again.
"Am alright Leila, I just passed out a little from shock but am good stop the ambulance from getting here."
"Are you sure?" I nod my head and she turns to the security guard I try to listen but I get nothing from what she is telling the guard.
She turns to look at me and I can still catch a worried and guilty look in her eyes.
"Leila am alright, anyway where were you coming from?" I asked her to stop worrying because it's not like I was either looking where I was going.
"I went to pick up my brother and guess what the stupid jerk had a ride home and he thought it was better to notify me of it when I was asking him where he was?" I gulp feeling sad for her that she doesn't even know that I was the one who gave her stupid jerk brother a ride. I just look anywhere else but in her eyes because now I am the one feeling guilty.
"I mean you remember Lucas right? The guy we were together the other day in my car when we took you and your sister to your house and if am not mistaken you might be together in some of the classes."
"Leila, I know your brother I was the one who gave him a ride before coming here but I guess it was useless because Kai just told me that he didn't come here and that makes my coming pointless," I say the last part sadly because coming here in the embassy and meeting Kai, is the only thing that kept me pushing through the day but now that at the end of it, there is no fantasy of it anymore. Am disappointed and I think Leila caught on to it given her next words.
"No need to pull your lips like that girl, your coming here was a purpose but please ignore and forget the part where I almost ran you over with my car I know God had a plan and that's why we are going through with it." I watch her pull her lips into a smirk sending a wink with it over my way and deep down in my gut am getting suspicious, which gets me frowning my lips but with a smile on them.
"Leila am kind of not liking the sound of it because I have a class tomorrow and not to mention my dad would blow me up if I turned home drunk." She narrows her eyes and grabs my arm leading me back to her car but I pull back.
"Where are we going? Leila, I was going to check on my father and I can't leave without doing it." She opens the passenger door of her car ignoring me as if I ain't saying anything to her at all. "Your father went home at lunch and he never came back." I quirk my eyebrow at that because he is never irresponsible like that unless it's a family matter but I wasn't informed of any emergencies so am thrown into a state of confusion by that new information.
She pushes me into her car but I hold my hands up at the side of her car door to prevent myself from entering, "Leila, I have a car at least let me follow you in my car or send me the location of where we are going?" She pulls away with a look of not believing me.
"What makes me believe you are not going to bail on me as we drive?" I almost knock my head on her car, she really can't be like this.
I just stare in her dark ink eyes not having what to say to convince her with words, thinking that maybe eyes can transform the message to her for me. "Leila?" She smirks.
"Okay, look I almost killed you so don't repay me by ditching me. Okay?" She quirks her brow in questioning and I nod.
"Okay fall in behind my car and let's go get fucked up." I just grin because, in the short amount I've known this girl, the least I can say about her is that she lives life like there is no tomorrow, and even though I hate crossing that line of judging her as am not perfect either. But it crossed my mind not once or twice about how she works here in the embassy because when I tell you that this girl knows the meaning of pulling up, you going to have to trust me. After all, she does.
I get in my car and start it to follow Leila to go get fucked up as she said, we drive into the unfamiliar streets of this country not like I know a lot about it though.
We pull somewhere at a place, I can see that it's an arena and as I get out I catch those words wide and big at the top center of the building to confirm my suspicions.
She gets out of the car first and crosses to mine as I am getting out with a big grin on her lips.
She crosses her arm within mine and I frown because am not even understand what we are doing on the arena campus in the first place.
I glance around the building with a big frown on my lips, quite the opposite of the expression on Leila's face.
"Have you heard of the F1 cars?" Before I have a chance to ask her the hell we are doing at the arena, she pops that question first and I shake my head because I don't think I've heard of it anywhere.
"Okay, let's go for a ride baby." She winks as she takes us to the Conor of the entrance on the right side to what seems to be the registration room.
We get in and she fills in a paper for her record and another for me.
We are escorted outside to the back side of the building, where they are small sports car parked. We are informed about how they work and given clothes used for safety in case the cars fly out of control which doesn't seem to scare the shit out of me because by the time I realized what we were here for, I had a big grin like the one Leila had before except hers turned into a smirk when she caught the excitement vibe that was radiating from me when I realized what she brought me here for.
I spent hours driving the F1 car with her and am not going to lie and deny by saying that it is not fun because after we resigned, I realized it's what I needed even though I knew nothing of it.
Since I landed in this country, I've been holding myself, I don't go out, I have no friends anymore. The only routine of my life is school and the embassy but as I am walking back to our cars with Leila, really exhausted and worked out from the driving we just did. I am thankful that I at least have her in my life at this time.
"Leila thank you for bringing me here. I didn't even realize how much I needed to chill till now. I am really grateful." She sends a wink my way as she sneaks her arm over my shoulders, the kind that meant to say 'Yeah, I saw how tense you were when I almost ran you over and I knew a little fun would help.'
"Am glad I was of help to you babe. But guess what?" I pull away from her hold with a suspicious look in my eyes because I thought we were done for a day.
"Fall in behind my car baby and lemme lit up your night one more time." I shake my head with a smile on my lips but at this time there is no fighting because am realizing, it's been a long till I lived like this, a carefree life that normal teens usually lead.
I walk away from her. " let's light it up then." She cheers and squeals loudly enough to earn us looks from people around us, the one who meant to tell us 'This is not a facility for crazy people' which I don't think she even noticed.
"That's the spirit, Sam. Let's go." I nod and get in my car. We fall back in line like we came here. Her in front and me behind.
We hit the road and this time I realize that we are heading into the city because I've been there a few times to make out the place.
She drives us a little far from the tall buildings of the city to another area that seems to be quiet and surrounded by trees more than buildings, she parks her car in the parking lot of a place that looks like a restaurant and I follow her lead.
She gets out and I do too, I fall on her side, as we walk to the house and I realize it's a cafe called Bourbon Coffee.
Am thinking about telling her to turn around to find another place that serves real food like a restaurant but when the smell of the cafe hits my nose, my stomach growls and instead of drowning in the embarrassment of that, I just moan in satisfaction of the smell, already thinking and mesmerizing about the taste of the food in my mouth.
"Hold up buddy, soon you are going to be full. I believe you won't even allow my girl over here to make a single move again." I chuckle because she can't be talking to my stomach like that.
"You are not chatting with my stomach, are you?" She turns her head to look at me and pulls a smirk on her lips that is followed by a wink for a language that says, 'hell yeah, I am.'
I shake my head and follow her as she takes us to sit in the last booth that is located on the left angle of the cafe.
I grab the menu booklet that is on the table already scanning my eyes through it because I didn't even realize how much I was hungry, until some minutes later when my stomach just growled to remind me that since morning I had nothing but two bottles of water.
I skipped both breakfast and lunch because first I was avoiding my sister but later on it turned out that me avoiding both her and my brother.
My phone rings pulling my attention away from the menu and bringing my focus to the phone that is ringing in my school bag that I got out of the car with.
I search for it to take the call and it's my mother calling. "Hello, mom?" I hear her clear her voice and it tells me that she might be awake from sleep.
"Lily Samantha, where are you? I just woke up and it's already seven and you are not here!" I knew her clearing her voice notified me that she had just woken up from sleep.
"Mom, I went out with my friend and we are having supper together don't wait me up for dinner but I will be home soon." I hear her sigh.
"Okay Lily Samantha, But try to be home as soon as possible because me and your dad have some news to share with you all and we will do it when you are here." I nod my head and when I catch a sight of Leila mocking me with her eyes, I realize that I am nodding to what my mom just said on the phone and she can't see me. I just roll my eyes at my dumbness.
"Copy Mom, love you! Bye!"
"What's that But Wait I don't even want to know. Love you too sweetie! come home safely." I hang up the phone and turn my attention to Leila who gives me the look that means to ask, 'Did I get you in trouble girl?' I just shook my head because it was just my mom being a woman as my father says.
"So are you ready to taste the most American cheeseburger that will make you feel like you are back in America?" That makes me remember my favorite diner that I used to hang in with my friends and it also made me think about how much I miss my friends, and my country in general my whole life back then. But before I go anywhere further on that road, I stop my mind and it works given the stares Leila is sending my way.
I raise my eyebrow at the dramatist of the girl who is sitting in front of me.
"I see you are not believing it," I nod my head at that because I refuse to believe this place makes even a quarter of the cheeseburger that I used to eat in America.
Before she had a chance of convincing me more the waiter came our way.
"Good evening Leila, good evening miss?" I quirk my eyebrow at the guy and then turn back to stare at Leila with the look of 'what the hell?' on my face. Which she sweetly ignores.
"Hey, Tony? Is Kabul around?" He smiles and nods his head.
"I don't know how you always know how to come just in time when he is on his shift." Leila shrugs her shoulders with a proud look on her face and am glad for the fact that they are speaking English.
"What can I tell you, Tony? It's a friendship bond." The guy chuckles and I find myself drown to his lips because I haven't realized how handsome he is until now that he chuckled. and as if sensing my eyes on him, he turns his eyes on me too, and when Leila catches on to what is going on she sends a smile my way.
"Samantha sorry I didn't introduce you, Sam this is my friend Tony and Tony this is my new favorite and almost best friend Samantha." The guy brings his hand forward for a shake and I reach mine into him, passing him a quick smile before turning to look at Leila.
"Almost? Girl, I thought I was fully there?" She winks and leaves it like that. But I catch a grin that is making its way on her lips.
"Tony, can you grab Kabul for us? I want to make my order precisely to him?!" The guy that I know is now named Tony nods his head and says.
"Just a minute." Before turning on his way back to where he came from.
And I turn my attention to Leila who is beaming at me happily as if I just handled her a gift on Christmas.
"So I can see you checking my guy, twice for a meeting point!" I purse my lips wondering what is but I decide to ignore her and turn my eyes back to the menu in front of me.
"Pretending game uh?" I laugh at her persistence in not letting things go.
"Leila, what are you looking for seriously?" She shrugs.
"You tell me?" I put my right elbow on the table to rest my chin on my palm as I bite my lip contemplating what she wants but before I say anything, I catch a buffed man, fully muscled guy walking toward us with a grin on his face.
"If it isn't for my one and only long-lost friend." Leila gets out of her seat and hugs the guy who came to us who is in the chef forms.
I watch as he engulfs her in a tight hug before pulling her back down on her feet.
"Sup big man?" The guy sends a nod her way as Leila takes her seat back and suddenly the guy's eyes turn on me and I watch as he smirks at me.
"Does she speak vernacular?" Leila shakes her head and the guy nods.
"So I heard she is a bestie now?" I watch as Leila tries to hide her face in her palms shyly, "Please stop right there before you go any further. Anyways I wanted you to get us your famous best cheeseburger with your most famous chips on the side." She winks and the guy whom I think is Kabul from what I heard earlier if am not mistaken.
The guy shakes his head. "At your service ma'am." Leila nods sarcastically but drops the act and she starts grinning foolishly.
"You better be." The guy chuckles and turns his attention to me. "Sup cutie?" I nod my head at him as he brings his hand forward for a shake. Which I shake with mine.
"Am Kabul is realizing if we don't get this introduction by ourselves, your bestie over there might never do it for us." I smile at his joke but for some reason it's true.
I turn to grin at Leila, who passes us a pointed look. "Samantha." He nods.
"Okay, Samantha allow me to get to work before my manager starts considering that I run away from my shift." I smile because now am starting to realize this buffed guy is more funny and full of humor than how he looks.
He turns on his heel walks back to what I think is the kitchen of the cafe and gets to work. I engage in big talk with Leila talking about everything that gets on our minds. Funny, stupid, and ridiculous things till we are served and I am not going to lie because in a second I am sitting back in America.
"I can't believe you haven't introduced me to this place until now. You sure hate me now I can tell." She smirks at me.
"Am sad that you just realized that now." We laugh at how she says that with a serious face before passing her an annoying look.
"I just found my second home in this country." She grins.
"Am glad I was of help to you babe." She quotes herself and I just smile to her a grateful smile.
We finished eating and the guys came back to say goodbye to Leila and me and we also shared with them another teasing and messing time, where they were teasing Leila I found myself laughing hard and it wasn't long before other jokes were directed at me.
We promised them to come back earlier to chill with them when they have free time and not during working hours before they finally let us roll.
Me and Leila, we walk to our cars and I turn to her and hug her a crashing, really tight hug.
"Am really happy Leila and thank you for sparring some of your time to chill me out." She shakes her head.
"Anytime." I kiss her on the cheek thrice before pulling away and I find her frowning surprised.
"I thought you guys just kissed once on the cheek and twice maybe," I smirk at her.
"Yeah we do that but your brother might have taught me some of your own culture." She gives me a surprised and dramatic look but before she pulls me back into the cafe for all the T's, I quickly walk to my car. But before entering I stop at the driver's door and pass her a final nod.
"Goodnight babe, love you so much." I hear her chuckle.
"Already fallen in love with me?" I laugh.
I retort her comment with a sarcastic answer. "Yeah dream big sweetheart." I get in a car laughing hard at her priceless face.
I enter the direction of my home in my car before reaching my phone to text Leila.
Me: Joking girl.
Get home safely.
I send the message and start the car. I drive back home and I realize it's nine past twenty-four. It takes me twenty hours to reach my home and I park my car beside my father's before going into the house.
AFTER 20 MINUTES.
"Am going back to America. Lily Samantha, I was hoping for you to come with me and it's permanent." I turn around to look at my family confused by that.
This is not what I was expecting at all.
The news hit me hard the same
way the news of coming here in Africa did to me.
I mean is today an official prank day?
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